Year over year, we hear about companies who struggle to build excitement around and raise participation in their recognition programs. What a shame, right? To spend so much time, effort, and money to plan activities and initiatives only to have them go bust? It’s always the intention for them to be successful, and it’s certainly not for lack of determination on the part of the planners if they flop. So, what’s going wrong?

Nothing says summer like your company picnic! And here at Baudville that is exactly what we did to celebrate the end of a beautiful Michigan summer and the start of a new school year!

When we surveyed our customers, one of the biggest challenges they faced was getting employees to participate in their programs and attend their events. Why? Perhaps the structure of the program or the approach of the event didn’t resonate with their employees! It’s not easy to admit, but it very well could be the cold, hard truth.

When it comes to any initiative, whether it’s a singular occasion or a broad program, if you don’t garner input from your team on their tastes and preferences, it’s unlikely you’ll have the success you hope to achieve.

I had another one of those a-ha moments last Friday night that compelled me to email myself at work so I’d be sure not forget my groundbreaking thought. When I arrived at the office the following weekday, this is the message that was waiting for me: “Football is a lot like teamwork.”

I had to laugh out loud. Of course it’s like teamwork. Organized sports are what gave us the concept of team collaboration in the workplace. Duh. Seriously, duh. I told Kaleigh about it and she laughed, too. But, we both concluded that there is still an important point here, despite the lack of ingenuity in my statement...

Anything successful does better with a thought-out plan... And we all know planning takes time. That's where Chapter Four of Designing and Implementing a Successful Recognition Program comes in. Dive into this free eBook for an easy-to-follow strategy and you'll be on your way to recognizing in no time!